The present invention relates to woodworking worktable assemblies and, more particularly, to woodworking worktable assemblies which include an elongated slot for receiving and guiding the guide bar portion of a miter guide.
Worktables for use with woodworking tools are typically provided with a planar upper surface and at least one guide slot machined into the upper surface for guiding the guide bar portion of a miter guide used for guiding a workpiece across the worktable. In addition, the worktable typically includes an aperture for receiving a workpiece engaging tool therethrough such that as the workpiece is guided across the surface of the worktable, it engages the tool extending through the aperture. In the case of a worktable used in combination with a multi-purpose woodworking tool, such as is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,980 to Bartlett et al, the guide sot may be used to locate a workpiece relative to a tool located either above or passing through the worktable.
A typical worktable, such as is shown in the Bartlett et al patent, is formed of a relatively thick piece of metal and at least one guide slot is machined into the upper work supporting surface of the worktable. Further, the slot may include lips which extend inwardly from the upper edges of the slot so as to form a cavity for retaining a guide bar portion of a miter guide located within the slot such that the bar is prevented from being lifted out of the slot in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the slot.
The above-described slot having inwardly extending lips must be precisely machined during manufacture of the table top in order to provide sufficient clearance for the guide bar portion of a miter guide to move through the slot without binding while maintaining close enough tolerances to provide an accurate guide path for the miter guide. In addition, machining of a slot having an overhanging lip configuration requires undercutting a section of the slot along the length of the table which is a difficult operation to perform while maintaining strict tolerances, and any errors occurring during machining of the slot may ultimately result in the entire worktable being scrapped.
Consequently, there is a need for a worktable assembly in which a slot may be provided having overhanging lips to retain the guide bar portion of a miter guide received therein. Further, there is a need for a worktable assembly in which the guide slot for a miter guide is adapted to receive the guide portion of the miter guide within a close tolerance without binding. In addition, there is a need for a worktable assembly having a guide slot in which the previously mentioned characteristics are provided while simplifying the machining steps required to form the guide slot in the worktable.